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Epiphany Sunday 2025

Cheri Simonet
Epiphany

Sunday, January 5th

There are twelve days of Christmas (and not just in the song with all the gifts from your true love!) and then the church calendar turns to Epiphany. This is the traditional day celebrating the arrival of the Magi to visit baby Jesus, but Biblical scholars tell us it was probably not just twelve days after his birth but maybe even a few years! We celebrate it as a whole season of the church year, all the way up until Lent begins with Ash Wednesday on March 5th this year.

The word “Epiphany” means revelation, showing forth. When we say we have an epiphany it means we suddenly recognize or understand something important. So during the season of Epiphany at church we celebrate the recognition and revelation of Jesus Christ and the light he brings to the world. 

For the last several years we have celebrated the season of Epiphany with a “star word”. A star word is a random word that becomes your prayer guide, your focus, your way to watch for God in the world. God can use anything to speak to us. There is nothing magic about a star word. But a star word begins as a mystery—you do not get to choose it. And so, it invites investigation, attentiveness, waiting. A star word orients you to watch for God in a particular way, to be receptive to the Spirit who is moving right now in the world around you.

On Sunday, January 5th our 10am worship celebration of Epiphany will include the distribution of “star words” for everyone present. Come and see what word might guide you in 2025!

2025 Cozy Kids Campaign

Cheri Simonet
Cozy Kids 2025

January 1st—31st

The Cozy Kids Campaign this year will benefit 265 children from nearby Lincoln Elementary School. Our community at First Presbyterian aims to keep those kids cozy with a collection of items needed this year of:

  • Stretchy pants size 5-7 and 6-8
  • Sweatpants size 5-7, 6-8 and 10-12
  • Gloves for boys (bigger is better)
  • Waterproof Gloves
  • Zip-up Sweatshirts size S/M/L
  • Chapstick
  • Wide-Lined Notebooks

Anything that will help the kids get through the winter would be greatly appreciated. All donations can be gently used – we’ll find a home for them.

Place the items – by January 31st – on the table at the back of the sanctuary.

Please help keep Lincoln Elementary School kids COZY this winter.

The Outreach Committee thanks you for your support!

Volunteers Needed for Landscaping Subcommittee

Cheri Simonet
Volunteer Thanks

Do you have an eye for landscaping? Do you like to work outside?

The Building and Grounds committee removed the bushes and is now looking to form a subcommittee to complete the landscaping.

The committee will begin meeting in February and will work to design and install low maintenance landscaping where the bushes were removed.

If you are interested in being on the subcommittee, please contact Bobbi Holl at (920) 680-3222 or email bjschim@gmail.com.

Bobbi will be setting up the first meeting date and time for mid-February.

Next Bible Study: The Spirituality of Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Cheri Simonet
The Spirituality of Dietrich Bonhoeffer Book Cover

Begins January 22nd and 23rd

Our Advent study is actually taking us quite a way into January this year, but a new study will begin at the end of the month called The Spirituality of Dietrich Bonhoeffer by John Burgess.

This brief book is an introduction to the life and ministry of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, including his decision to become a theologian, his decision to give his life to the church, and his decision to remain in Germany in attempt to overthrow Hitler.

Group meetings begin on January 22nd and 23rd. Wednesday nights will be at 6pm on Zoom, and Thursday mornings at 10:30am in person at the church in the Fellowship Room.

Books will be available by mid-January in the church office.

Save-the-Date: Souper Bowl of Caring 2025

Cheri Simonet
Souper Bowl of Caring

February 9, 2025

As Super Bowl Sunday approaches that means it’s time for our 3rd annual Souper Bowl of Caring!

The Souper Bowl of Caring is the signature event for Tackle Hunger. This program boasts millions of dollars raised for food charities and thousands of mobilized groups across the country. We sponsor the Souper Bowl of Caring each year as it demonstrates the power of community mobilization and the importance of local action to Tackle Hunger.

Our #FirstPresGB Souper Bowl of Caring is led by the Christian Education Committee along with Youth Group and is held annually on Super Bowl Sunday. The event is meant to bring an awareness to hunger and to curb hunger through soup.

The cost will be $5/person and there will be 8 different soup stations for people to experience. Each soup sampler will have a chance to vote and judge our Souper Bowl winner. The awardee will receive the cherished Golden Ladle that’s passed on year over year to the awarded winner. The current Golden Ladle holder from our 2024 Souper Bowl of Caring is chef Cassandra Aceituno with her stuffed pepper soup.

More details will follow in February’s newsletter but in the meantime, we’re looking for 8 soup chefs to help us pull this off! All you need to do is craft a crock pot full of your favorite soup.

If you’re able to be one of our 8 soup chefs, please contact Director of Children, Youth and Families, Joel Morien, at ce@firstpresgreenbay.org or there’s a sign up sheet on the bulletin board.

January 2025 Fourth Sunday Forum

Cheri Simonet
Fourth Sunday Forum

Sunday, January 26th

Please join us for our January Fourth Sunday Forum which takes place at 9am before worship on Sunday, January 26th.

Our speaker for the month will be Georjeanna Wilson-Doenges who’ll present Finding Awe in Everyday Moments: Boosting mental health and happiness.

In this forum, Georjeanna will explore the profound impact of experiencing awe in our daily lives.  By paying attention to the beauty around us – whether it’s a blooming flower, a child’s laughter or a stunning sunset – we can create small moments of awe that significantly boost our mental health and cognitive functions.  Join us as Georjeanna delves into practical ways to cultivate these moments, fostering a more joyful and mentally enriching environment for everyone.  Let’s discover how the simple act of noticing can transform our well-being and bring a sense of wonder to our everyday lives.

Association of Partners in Christian Education Annual Event 2025

Cheri Simonet
APCE 2025 Logo

Pastor Katie and CE Director, Joel Morien, are both looking forward to attending the annual conference of the Association of Partners in Christian Education later this month. The event will be held in Memphis this year, taking place over four days at the Peabody Hotel, where the ducks inspired by the classic book Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey take a daily walk from their rooftop duck palace to the fountain in the hotel lobby. There’s even a red carpet for them to walk!

Wrestling With God and Church Toward a More Beloved Community is the theme of this year’s conference which will feature 60+ workshops for pastors, educators, and youth leaders. Keynote speakers and preachers will provide plenary sessions and daily worship services.

Thank you for making this continuing education opportunity possible for our staff!  

January 2025 Rundown

Cheri Simonet
Monthly Rundown

Advent Workshop

Our annual Advent Workshop was another wonderful event! We had great crafts including a reindeer ornament designed by Brenda Hubbard, Kevin Kabacinski’s famous chili lunch and Loni McCormick’s cut out cookies to decorate and eat. New this year was a reverse Advent Calendar which we’re sure will provide an enriching experience to everyone this holiday season. Other activities included making a seasonal potpourri to warm on the stove and a Christmas card making table hosted by Nancy Siewert. Thanks to everyone who was able to join us!

Christmas Prayer Baskets

Our three adopted families had a beautiful Christmas thanks to so many wonderful people! All the tags were taken from our baskets to fill each family’s wish lists. Many people within the church and several outside of our church helped make this possible. The Outreach Committee thanks everyone so much for the wonderful presents and for spreading joy! Special thanks to our family coordinators: Stephanie Fahringer and Deb Shober for the Angel Family, Kris Walker and family for the Jesus Family, and Pat and Katie McCormick for the Star Family. A large fleece blanket was given for each family and each child received their own fleece blanket too.

Red Lobster Thank You!

A BIG thank you to Red Lobster Managers, James and Bridget, and for their team’s generous donations to our Toy Shop of more than 50 toys! Each year we’re blessed with their generosity and this year there was another 2 overflowing dollies with toys. Not only do they pay for all those toys they also shop and then deliver them to our church! Red Lobster also donates frozen potatoes, salmon and Red Lobster biscuits on a weekly basis to our Pantry.

  • Red Lobster Toy Shop Gifts
  • Red Lobster Toy Shop Gifts

Toy Shop

This year’s Toy Shop on December 10th for our Pantry guests was a great success! We served 74 families and gave away toys for 301 kids! Thank you to everyone for your generous support with monetary gifts and toys, and special THANKS to our elves that were personal shoppers. Thanks to everyone’s support there’s 301 kids who found presents under the tree on Christmas morning! Check out our photo gallery!

Toy Shop 2025
Toy Shop 2025
Toy Shop 2025
Toy Shop 2025

Youth Lock In

The Youth Group had their annual lock-in on the weekend of December 13th and wrapped all the Christmas Prayer Basket gifts. It was a great night of fellowship filled with games and fun plus reflection on how fortunate we are for all the gifts in our life. Special thanks to our chaperones—Olivia Crooks, Deb Gauthier and George Hubbard—who helped wrap gifts and made the lock-in possible!

Rundowns will publish with our Connections issue on a monthly or bimonthly basis. To submit rundowns for consideration contact us at communications@firstpresgreenbay.org by the 15th of the month to be included in the following month’s publication. And, as always, we look forward to receiving your Rundown of what’s been Happening Now!

First Presbyterian Church Sesquicentennial

Cheri Simonet
150th Anniversary

Celebrating how we got here!!

The 150th Anniversary of our church is May 2, 2026. It’s time to plan our celebrations!! We have set dates for our big event (place to be determined) for Saturday, May 2, 2026 and our celebratory church service on Sunday, May 3, 2026. Please save those dates on your calendar.

We are looking for logo ideas.

  • The logo colors will be gold and black. Ideas for a logo don’t need to be in their final form. We have people who can assist you in bringing your ideas to life either by putting them on paper for you or putting on the finishing touches.
  • Things you might want to include as part of the logo are our church name, dates of the anniversary (1876-2026), 150th Anniversary.
  • The logo needs to be simple and look good in different sizes since it will be used in a variety of ways – invitations, banners, clothing, and much more.
  • Logo ideas need to be submitted to the church office by January 23, 2025 so there will be time to put the finishing touches on your idea. The Steering Committee will make their decision in February.

If you have old pictures or articles about our church’s life and are willing to share them, please let the history committee know. All pictures and articles will be returned to you.

We are very excited about planning for our 150th Anniversary – we have a lot to celebrate. Events are in the works and we would like to have everyone involved in making this a special time of celebration for our church.

150th Anniversary Committees are looking for members, so if you have an interest in a special area, please contact a co-chair.

Sesquicentennial Committees

Worship Service December 15, 2024

Cheri Simonet

On this third Sunday of Advent, we welcome the Griffon String Quartet to provide special music in worship. Our children will also sing, and Jeff Verkuilen will substitute at the organ. Our From the Manger theme will have us consider how joy comes from the manger. Texts include Isaiah 12: 2-6 https://bit.ly/3PbBJpX and Luke 2: 8-20 https://bit.ly/3ZuCIpW and the sermon title is “Stirring Up Joy.”